


Midnight Sun

by MLauren



Series: MLauren - ElsaMaren (Summer 2020) [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25233319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MLauren/pseuds/MLauren
Summary: Elsa is afraid Honeymaren is moving too fast. Will their relationship survive against Elsa's fears?-ElsaMaren Summer 2020 (Event) - Day One: Culture & Heritage
Relationships: Elsa & Honeymaren (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Series: MLauren - ElsaMaren (Summer 2020) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828045
Comments: 8
Kudos: 53
Collections: Elsamaren Summer 2020





	Midnight Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Some of this is me, some of this is Sami, some of this is Norweigan... Enjoy!

**_Midnight Sun_ **

M. Lauren

* * *

**“She gave me a** **_ring…_ ** **”**

“A what!?”

Anna grabbed her sister’s hand, holding it uncomfortably above their heads. Her blue eyes were wide. Her mouth parted. Anna was staring hard, but her words wouldn’t come. 

“Are you… can you please say something?” Elsa pulled her hand away, clasping both in her lap. Her lips drew to the side and her brow, knit.

“You- _you’re engaged_?!” Anna’s voice wavered. 

“I… don’t know…”

“You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know? Honeymaren gave you that ring, didn’t she? Oh my nature, I can’t believe this! My sister is engaged! I never thought I’d see the day! Tell me- what did she do? Did she get down on one knee? Did she do the reindeer thing? Oh, I bet it was so romantic! Tell me everything-”

“Anna, Anna,” Elsa silenced her, batting her hands pleadingly. She ran one through her hair and slowly shook her head. “She didn’t do any of those things… She just handed it to me and then… walked away…”

“What?!” Anna’s back pulled impossibly straight. “She didn’t say anything? Not, ‘will you’ or ‘I love you’ or… _nothing_?”

Shrugging, Elsa looked down at her hand. “Maren said she had it made for me, but then Yelena called her away. We never talked about it, and I-”

“-ran home…” Anna finished for her. She placed a warm hand over Elsa’s knee. “I get it… I know I was all smiles or whatever when Kristoff asked me, but inside, I was terrified! I didn’t know the first thing about being a wife. Now look at me! _I got this wife thing in the bag!_ ”

Elsa tried to laugh but it came out strangled. Anna’s fingers tightened their hold, bringing their eyes back together. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“What- what if I’m not ready? What if I don’t want to be engaged yet? We haven’t been dating all that long and- I know it’ll break her heart. I don’t want to do that... I love her, I’m just... I don’t think I’m ready...” Pouting her lip, Elsa’s shoulders pulled into her ears. 

“Then you need to tell Honeymaren that,” Anna explained, smiling softly. “She’ll understand, Elsa. Honeymaren loves you! She cares about you. If you tell her how you’re feeling, she might be sad, sure... but she’ll understand.” 

Elsa nodded, turning down to the ring once more. “It is _really_ pretty, though…”

“-and look! It has a little sun!” Anna covered her mouth and squealed. “So pretty! Maybe Honeymaren will let you keep it? You can wear it as a promise ring so it doesn’t hurt her feelings.”

“Maybe,” Elsa hummed. She balled her hand into a fist, stuffing it between her thighs. “As much as I don’t want to, I have to talk to her about this... She might need some space for a while, but I can handle that. And if she doesn’t want to see me again after, I have to learn to accept it.”

“That’s fair,” Anna touched a finger to Elsa’s chin, stealing her attention. “-but she _will_ come around. Give Maren the benefit of the doubt here. She knows a commitment like this would probably make you a little uncomfortable. It’s not a ' _no'_ ,  officially … it’s a _‘not_ _ yet _ ’.”

Despite Anna’s assurance that everything would be alright, Elsa couldn’t help but break under the weight of the discussion to be had. It was a sensitive topic; one Elsa hadn’t fully digested yet. She’d never dreamed of a wedding, nor of being a wife. She hadn’t spent her teenage years planning an elaborate event with all her closest friends and family either. Hell, she spent most of her childhood wishing she lived as far away as possible from everyone on the planet... 

Instead of continuing the conversation, Elsa merely thanked her sister. She gave Anna a hug and bid her farewell; lying that she’d make matters worse by avoiding Honeymaren for much longer.

But Elsa didn’t return home after. She couldn’t bear it. In her head, Honeymaren's heartbroken face contorted on an endless loop.

With the wind at their backs, Nokk raced them across the northern lands. Elsa hoped the detour would help to clear her mind. 

A short time later, they arrived at the rocky shores of the Dark Sea. As the sun set, Elsa watched the golden rays fade behind the shadows of Ahtohallan. Her thighs drew tight against her chest. Her arms laced around her legs, and Elsa relaxed a cheek into her knees. 

She sighed, feeling the guilt of avoidance. Chance had thrown a wonderful woman into her life; one Elsa never felt worthy of. Now, she’d have to break that woman’s heart. 

_ Fear had won again.  _

“I had a feeling Gale was leading me to you,” a voice teased from beyond the treeline. 

Elsa’s heart stopped and restarted in her chest. She released her hold on her legs as she whipped her head around. 

“Honeymaren?” Elsa was suddenly on her feet. It had happened so fast, she watched Honeymaren blink in surprise. “What- _what are you doing here_?”

“Don’t blame me, blame GaleI” Honeymaren approached. “She came tearing through my goahti and pushed me right out the door. It didn’t take long for me to figure out where we were headed, though...”

As if on queue, Gale circled up Elsa’s legs. She brushed against her cheek before departing across the sea. Elsa watched her go. When her eyes returned, Honeymaren stood a foot away, her curly head tilted in curiosity.

“I take it, you need something?” she questioned, leaning in for Elsa’s hands. 

She watched Honeymaren’s face harden as she stepped back out of reach. Elsa intertwined her fingers against her stomach and dropped her gaze. 

“I need to talk to you,” she whispered. Her knuckles turned weight as they strained together. 

“Oh no! Is this about earlier?” Honeymaren guessed. “Listen, Elsa, I’m so sorry about Yelena… She was upset I didn’t go through with the whole ceremony thing, but I knew that might make you uncomfortable- unless… Wait? Is that why you’re upset? We can still have the ceremony if that’s what you want. I just know how uncomfortable you get at these big events, and the whole village would have been there. At least now, it’s over and done with and-”

“Wait, what-  _ ceremony _ !?” Elsa’s eyes popped wide. “That’s it? It’s done? It’s over? I- you didn’t even ask me? What if I didn’t want to? I don't get a say?”

Honeymaren stepped toward her, but Elsa raised a hand to hold her back. “I’m confused… It’s really not that big a deal, why wouldn’t you want to? I thought- do you not like living here?”

“Not a big deal? Honeymaren! This is a  _ huge _ deal, and it definitely required my input, but you just went ahead and did it anyway! How could you?”

While Elsa’s expression morphed into something resembling hostile, Honeymaren’s remained blank. With her jaw slack and brows, pinched, she slowly shook her head. 

“Elsa, what’s going on here… I thought this would make you happy?” Her arms folded protectively over her chest. 

“Happy?” Elsa breathily laughed. “I might have been if you’d given me some time to digest it, or waited, or even asked how I felt! I came here- I thought I could fix this, but now it’s too late!”

“Time? Elsa… It’s been nearly two years! I assumed you felt at home here… I’m sorry if I misjudged how you felt…” Honeymaren shoulders curled forward and her lip began to pout. 

“Well, I’m sorry if you think two years is enough time _to get married_ , but that’s not what I planned for my life right now!”

Honeymaren stubbled backwards. Her arms fell limp at her side. “Married?” She questioned as her eyes enlarged. “You think-  _ married _ ?”

Elsa threw up her hand, forcing the ring into Honeymaren’s view. “Yes, married! You gave me this ring. You skipped the ceremony. It’s over and done with now, and- I’m not ready to be married! I can't be a wife!”

She began to pace as she pulled her hands through her hair. In such a state of panic, Elsa didn’t stop even as Honeymaren started to laugh. 

“Elsa, we’re not married!” Honeymaren shouted.

Elsa stopped in her tracks. Her head snapped to Honeymaren. “What? We’re not? Are we still engaged, then?” 

“No, you goof!” Her laughter subsided, “We’re not married, nor are we engaged! I thought you knew about the midnight sun… Yelena told the story during dinner the other night and-”

“ _The midnight sun…_ ” Elsa dropped into a seated position along the rocky ledge. She turned the ring around her finger and her jaw loosened.

“You remember the story?” Honeymaren asked as she came to stand at her side. 

“The coming of age… the time when the sun doesn’t set…” Elsa buried her face into her hands. 

Cautiously, Honeymaren joined her against the rock. “I thought because you weren’t here as a child, I could gift you your midnight sun now. It was supposed to be a metaphor for the time you’ve spent with us, and how much you’ve grown since moving here. I- _oh, Elsa_ … I should have taken the time to explain it to you…”

Elsa groaned behind her hands. They fell into her lap. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong… I should have remembered! But the ring… you see, it means something different back in Arendelle! That’s why I panicked…”

“I gathered that much,” Honeymaren laughed. “-but, listen… I can have Yulif make you something different- a bracelet or a necklace; anything else, whatever you want as long as it's silver!”

She quickly shook her head, “No, I wouldn't want you to do that. You didn’t know- just like I didn’t understand how Northuldra celebrates the midnight sun with jewlery…”

“We’re both learning,” Honeymaren smiled and placed a hand over Elsa’s knee. 

“Our cultures are different, sometimes I forget there’s still so much I don’t know about you,”

“There’s time for that,” Honeymaren assured. “If anything, I hope that ring can symbolize my promise to continue to teach you about your mother’s home, and of my desire to learn more about yours. We have the rest of our lives to figure these things out, Elsa, but I promise I’m committed to doing this.”

Elsa finally returned Honeymaren’s smile. It came easily and stretched fully across her cheeks. 

She took their hands together and leaned against Honeymaren's arm. “I am too, and thank you for the ring- it’s beautiful… I’m so sorry I let the miscommunication ruin the sentiment...” 

“Think nothing of it,” Honeymaren brushed the scattered hairs from Elsa’s face. “I’m just glad you like it after all.”

Elsa accepted the brief kiss that was placed on her lips. “Like it? I love it, just like I love you…”

Honeymaren’s cheeks tinged with pink. “Come on, you goof,” she kissed her again. “Let’s go home.”

Their fingers stayed intertwined as they stood up from the rock. Elsa followed Honeymaren back to the trail, smiling giddily. 

“I can’t believe you thought we were married,” Honeymaren teased.

Elsa bumped their shoulders playfully together, “I can’t believe you thought I didn’t feel at home here...”

Giggling softly, Honeymaren took an arm around Elsa’s waist. The two returned to the village, happy to put the misunderstanding behind them. 

* * *

_ Cheers, _

_ M. Lauren _


End file.
